


Summit

by sophinisba



Category: Lord of the Rings (2001 2002 2003), Lord of the Rings - Tolkien
Genre: 100-1000 Words, Gen, Interspecies, Quest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-01-04
Updated: 2008-01-04
Packaged: 2017-10-05 21:59:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/46431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophinisba/pseuds/sophinisba
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Frodo and Strider discuss the Company's progress.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Summit

**Author's Note:**

  * For [claudia603](https://archiveofourown.org/users/claudia603/gifts).



Frodo had to scramble up the hill, even breaking into a run at times, in order to catch up and keep pace with their guide, who had taken off in a great huff of manliness, leaving the four hobbits behind. Merry's words, as he reassured Pippin that he'd done nothing wrong, were kind, but he didn't even attempt to keep the anger out of his tone. And Sam offering to take more of the load in his own pack sounded more helpless than helpful.

"Strider!" Frodo called once he was out of earshot of the others, and he nearly tripped when the tall man stopped short and turned around to stare at him. He needed to take a breath and a moment to remember what he was going to say. "Strider, I wish you wouldn't scold Pippin like that."

"And I wish he would carry his own weight rather than drag the rest of you hobbits down."

"He's young," said Frodo. "He's not used to journeying this hard."

In truth, this last could easily be said of all four of them. They'd been marching all day on very little food, and Frodo's legs felt about ready to give out. To his dismay, Strider, who seemed to have lost patience with Frodo once again (he never seemed to begin with much), began striding fearlessly forward again, forcing Frodo to chase after him.

"Then perhaps he should not have come on this journey with you."

"But he –"

"Perhaps you, as the leader, should not have allowed your little cousins to tag along."

"They're not my..." And Frodo, feeling rather desperate but also very annoyed, decided that he was allowed to lose his patience from time to time as well. "Listen," he said loudly, and stopped where he stood on the path at the top of the hill, and crossed his arms so that Aragorn would have to stop and turn around in order to hear him. And, to Frodo's great satisfaction, he did so. "Just because we're not as big and tall as you doesn't mean we're not brave or clever or capable of doing great things."

"I do not ask for great things, master hobbit, only that you travel like travellers and be aware of the danger that you face."

"We're all well aware of the danger, thank you very much."

"Then you would do well to –"

"Show it? To frown all the time, and not to say more than two words together for fear they might put someone in a better mood? If you ask us to do that you're asking us not to be hobbits anymore."

Strider, typically, grimaced. "It was not my choice to make this journey with four Halflings."

Frodo found it remarkably easy to glower back at him. "Nor was it our wish to leave the Shire in the first place, let alone be robbed of our ponies and chased out of Bree in the company of the most disagreeable of Men." Strider still stared at him, still stood tall and strong and taller, even though he stood on slightly lower ground. Still, something in his face seemed to falter for a moment, and Frodo softened his own face and voice as he went on. "Please, Strider, do not hold it against us if we try to cheer each other rather than shouting. The next time you're angry at Pippin, speak to me, all right? I'll make him understand what you need without threatening to send him home."

"We must move with haste. I will not always have time to relay my orders through a messenger."

"Of course," said Frodo, "I don't know how long all of us will be traveling together, but I understand you'll need to speak to everyone directly…"

"Good, you –"

"And I also know that you mustn't go on giving us _orders_ as you've been doing," Frodo said firmly. "You'll learn from _me_ how you can do a better job of leading us."

"What's this you're saying, Frodo?" said Merry, coming up the hill with Pippin and Sam behind him. "Are you taking over again? Will there be second breakfasts from now on?"

Pippin still looked embarrassed and did not even smile at the joke. Frodo took his hand. "No," he said to all of them, "but there will be second chances." Then he turned to Strider and asked, "Where do we go from here?"

Strider, saying nothing, turned and led the way.


End file.
